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This ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer is brought to you by the

Society Chapter Technology Transfer Committee
 PLEASE MUTE CELL PHONES

VARIABLE FLOW
CHILLER PLANT DESIGN

Julian R. de Bullet
ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer

President, deBullet Consulting

703-483-0179
julian@debullet.com

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 Why Optimized Design?

• Buildings In The US Consume 39% Of Our Total

Energy
• 70% Of Our Electricity Annually
• 5 Billion Gallons Potable Water Per Day For
Toilets
• Typical Construction Generates 2.5 lbs. Of
Solid Waste Per Square Foot
• High Performance Building Practices Can
Reduce These Negative Environmental Impacts
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 Chiller Basics

• Air, Water Or Evaporatively

Cooled

• Reciprocating, Scroll, Screw

Or Centrifugal Compressors

• DX or Flooded Evaporators

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 Cooling Tower Basics

Forced Draft Tower

Induced Draft Tower

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 Load Basics

• Chilled Water Coils

Transfer Heat From
Building Air To Chilled
Water

• Process Loads
– Cooling Jackets

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 HVAC Controls

A S H

R A BACnet ™
E

Web-based?

OPEN PROTOCOL IS A NORM!

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Constant Volume Chilled Water Flow Design

3 Way valve

Chilled Water Pump

(constant speed)
Constant Volume Chilled Water Flow Design

No valve
Commonly
called a “Wild
Coil”

Chilled Water Pump

(constant speed)
Constant Volume Chilled Water Flow Design

3 Way valve
45f

50f
Temperature Differential on
the chilled water supply and
return
55f

Chilled Water Pump

(constant speed)
Capacity measurement
 Constant Volume Chilled Water Flow Design

Constant chilled water flow required because of the three way bypass valves on
each air handler

Multiple chiller applications require the chillers to be in series for capacity reduction

Capacity measurement is with the chilled water temperature differential

Advantages to this design-

Ease of control

Disadvantages to this design-

Increased installation cost because of parallel piping required to allow for service
or isolation of one unit

Low fluid velocities

Chillers with different lift and mass flow capabilities

Matching or balancing the load of two chillers

 Full Load Vs. Annual Load
Chiller
58%

Fans
24% Tower
Pumps 5%
13%
Design Performance
Chiller
Fans 33%
43%

Tower
2%
Pumps
22%

14 Annual Energy Usage

 HVAC - Prescriptive Method (Section 6)

Hydronic Systems (6.3.4)!!!!!

• Variable Flow Required For Systems Over 10

HP (6.4.3.1)
– Modulate Down To 50%
• Exceptions
– Where Minimum Flow Is Less Than Flow Required
By Equipment And < 75HP
• Individual Variable Flow Pumps
> 100 Feet And 50 hp Motor
– 30% Design Wattage At 50% Flow
– Controlled As A Function Of Flow Or Pressure
Differential
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Primary/Secondary Chilled Water Flow Design

2 Way modulating
CHW valve

Variable Flow
Secondary Chilled Check Valve in the Bridge or
Water Pump De-coupler Circuit

Constant Flow Primary

Chilled Water Pumps
Primary/Secondary Chilled Water Flow Design

Pressure Secondary Chilled

differential Water Return Secondary
transmitter Temperature Chilled
Water Flow
Secondary Chilled Meter
Water Supply
Temperature

Bridge or De-coupler temperature sensor

or bi-directional flow meter

Measurement devices required

for system capacity
Primary/Secondary Chilled Water Flow Design

60% of chilled
60% valve water flow
position 52 deg f

42 deg f
40% flow

42 deg f
48 deg f

ON

ON
Example of 60% system load
with 40% bypass
 Primary/Secondary Design
• Pros
• Variable Flow Through Secondary Loop
• Stable Constant Flow through Chillers

• Cons
• Complexity
• Low Delta T Syndrome
• Stepped Primary Flow
– (More Pump Work Than Variable Primary Flow)

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 Low Delta T-Definition

A Condition Whereby a Low Chilled Water

Return Temperature Causes an Excessive
Amount of Chilled Water to Circulate to
Meet System Cooling Loads and Chillers
Receiving the Low Temperature CHR
CANNOT be Loaded to Their Design
Capacity

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 Low Delta T Syndrome
Low Delta T Symptoms And Solutions

• 3 Way Valves
– Don’t Use Them

• Supply Air Set points Lowered Beyond Design

– Valves Go Wide Open - No Control
– Ensure Valves Are Tracking

• Valves Not Closed When Not Required

– Ensure Valves Close When AHU Not In Use

• All System Components Not Designed For Same

Delta T
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 Low Delta T Syndrome

Low Delta T Symptoms And Solutions Cont’d

• Coils And Valves Not Properly Selected

– Select Correctly

• Coils Piped “Backwards”

– Coils Must Be Piped So Water Is Counterflow To Air

• Improper Tertiary Piping

– Ensure Tertiary Setpoint Is Above Chilled Water Setpoint

• Dirty Coils- Clean the Coils

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 Low Delta T Syndrome

Low Delta T Retrofit Solutions Cont’d

• VFD Chillers
– Excellent Part Load Performance Allows Two Chillers To
Operate More Efficiently Even With Parasitic Losses

• Oversize Primary Pumps

– Oversized Primary Pumps With VFDs Can Over Pump
Chillers And Avoid Starting Additional Machines

• Variable Primary Flow

– Easily Accommodates Over Pumping Chillers

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 Low Delta T Syndrome

Low Delta T Retrofit Solutions Cont’d

• Reduce Delta T On Primary Side

– Larger Pumps And Piping Will Increase Capital Cost
– Penalty At Full Load

• Add Flow Control Valves At Each Coil

– Ensures Terminal Device Doesn’t Exceed Design Flow
– Space Cooling Not Satisfied
– Increase System Pressure Drop
– Adds Cost

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 Low Delta T Syndrome

Low Delta T Retrofit Solutions ?

Check Valve In
Decoupler

• Check Valve Puts Pumps In Series

• Potentially Over-pump Chiller
• Can Starve Building
• Doesn’t Fix Real Problem
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 Variable Primary Flow Design
General

– Primary Pump Operates When Chilled Water

Required
– Condenser Pump And Tower Operate When
Chiller Operates
– 2 Way Valves
• Diversity To Flow
– Works With Single, Series And Parallel
Chillers

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Variable Primary Chilled Water Flow Design

2 Way modulating
CHW valve

Minimum flow bypass

Pressure differential transmitter across each chiller

evaporator to operate the minimum flow bypass

Measurement devices required to

control the chillers
Variable Primary Chilled Water Flow Design

2 Way modulating
CHW valve

Minimum flow bypass

Pressure differential transmitter across the

chilled water header to control the chilled
water pump speed

Measurement devices required to

control the chillers
Variable Primary Chilled Water Flow Design

2 Way modulating
CHW valve

Minimum flow bypass

Chilled water flow meter to measure the total

chilled water flow

Measurement devices required to

control the chillers
Variable Primary Chilled Water Flow Design

100% open
42 deg F 52 deg F

0% Open
Minimum flow bypass

42 deg F 52 deg F

CHWP’s at
100% speed
ON

ON Example of the system at full load

Variable Primary Chilled Water Flow Design

60% open
42 deg F 0% Open 52 deg F

Minimum flow bypass

42 deg F 52 deg F

CHWP’s at
60% speed
ON

ON Example of the system at 60% load

Variable Primary Chilled Water Flow Design

20%
42 deg F flow 5% 52 deg F

Minimum flow bypass

42 deg F 52 deg F

CHWP at
25% speed
ON

OFF Example of the system at 20% load

2  350 TON, VARIABLE PRIMARY

Building Load 100% (700 Tons, 2462 kW)

Automatic
Isolation Valves
Control
Valve, sized
for minimum
1050 gpm
chiller flow
(66 l/s)

350 Ton 350 Ton

1,231 kW 1,231 kW Bypass

Variable Speed Flow Meter

Primary Pumps

700 tons / 2 chillers = 350 tons (1,231 kW) per chiller

When building 100% loaded, entering condenser water = 85F (29.4 C)
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 Variable Primary Flow Design

• Design Flowrate Determined by Tube Velocity

– Minimum 1.5 FPS ( Based On A Reynolds # Of 7500)
– Maximum 12 FPS

• At Typical Conditions, 6-7 FPS

• Select Evaporator With More Passes & Higher
Pressure Drop
• Minimum Flow Typically 50% Or Less Of Design
• Bypass Must Be Sized To Maintain Minimum Flow
Rate Of Largest Chiller

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Benefits of a variable primary chilled water flow design

•Reduced first cost with the elimination of the secondary

chilled water pumps

•Reduced energy cost by the elimination of the constant

speed energy on the primary chilled water pumps

•Measurement of capacity with chilled water flow and

chilled water temperature differential

•Chillers do not operate in an unloaded condition to

generate enough chilled water flow to prevent negative
water flow through the de-coupler in a primary secondary
design
 When to consider VPF ?

When:

•System flow can be reduced by at least 30% of design.

•Design affords greater cost savings than a “de-coupled” system.

•Operators will understand how the system works and will run it properly.

•The system can tolerate a modest variation in supply water temperature.

•A single chiller is being replaced and the primary flow can be varied.

•Variable Flow can be applied to Parallel as well as Series Flow.

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CHILLER STAGING
Condenser piping
not shown
Bypass piping,
CH-1 Lead CH-2 Lag isolation valves
T3 T2 T1 not shown
CH-1 Programmed as lead chiller, CH-2 programmed as lag chiller.
CH-1 loads up until compressor speed indicates 2nd chiller appropriate
Based on compressor speed, CH-1 commands CH-2 to turn on.
Since chillers are in series, pump flows are already established.
CH-1 and CH-2 operate together to regulate T3 to set point.
At appropriate compressor speed, CH-1 commands CH-2 to turn off.
If CH-1 becomes disabled, the on board controls rotate CH-2 as the lead chiller.
CH-2 regulates to the leaving temperature T3 via the sensor.

No Human Intervention Required

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Increasing system reliability in a VPF System

Does the system have the instrumentation in

place to control a VPF system?

It is critical that the system have the necessary flow meters,

differential pressure sensors, and valves in the system for
proper operation.

In addition, these devices should be selected for the system

requirements. The accuracy of the instrumentation should be
factored into the recommended minimum/maximum water flow limits.
 VPF vs. Primary Secondary

500000

450000

400000

350000

300000
kWh

250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

0
Chillers Pumps Towers Fans

Variable Primary Flow 2 Chiller Primary/Secondary Flow 2 Chiller Parallel Flow

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 More or Less?

According to an ARTI study results, variable

primary-only chilled water systems reduced
the total annual plant energy by 3 to 8 percent,
first cost by 4 to 8 percent, and life cycle cost
by 3 to 5 percent relative to conventional
constant primary flow/variable secondary flow
chilled water systems.

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 Future Goals
• Net- Zero Energy Buildings

– Combination of Rising Energy Prices

– Improving Technology

– Concerns about Climate Change

• Future Goal of Net-Zero Carbon Emissions

• ASHRAE Standard 189, Design of High Performance

Green Buildings
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